Unit Plan 31 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Independent Rehearsal Skills

Focus: Use looping, chunking, and bowing isolation to improve difficult passages independently.

Grade Level: 6

Subject Area: Orchestra (Practice Skills • Technique • Ensemble Prep)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, Grade 6 orchestra students learn how to practice like musicians, not just “play it again from the top.” They discover how to find tricky spots, break them into small chunks, and use slow practice, looping, and bowing isolation to fix problems on their own. Students also learn how independent rehearsal skills support the whole ensemble, so rehearsal time can focus on musicality instead of constant note-fixing. By the end of the week, students can show and explain a personal practice routine for a challenging excerpt.

Essential Questions

• How can I break down a difficult passage so that I can actually fix it?
• Why do strategies like slow practice, looping, and chunking help more than just playing from the beginning again and again?
• How do independent rehearsal skills help our section and full orchestra improve faster?
• What does it mean to rehearse like a leader, not just wait for the teacher to fix everything?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify specific measures or spots in a piece that need focused practice and mark them as practice chunks.
2. Use slow practice, counting, and subdivision to improve accuracy in rhythm and notes within a small chunk.
3. Apply looping (repeating short sections) and bowing isolation to clean up difficult patterns before rejoining the full passage.
4. Combine strategies (slow practice → looping → add tempo) to rebuild a passage with improved accuracy and confidence.
5. Create and follow a short independent rehearsal plan for one excerpt, then explain how their strategy improved their playing.

Standards Alignment — Grade 6 Orchestra (custom, NAfME-style)

• OR:Pr5.6a — Apply rehearsal strategies (slow practice, counting, looping, bowing isolation, section practice) to improve individual accuracy and ensemble timing.
  • Example: Students isolate a bowing pattern, practice slowly, then rejoin the ensemble with correct timing.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can find and mark the exact measures that are hardest for me.
• I can use slow practice, counting, or subdivision to make a tricky rhythm more accurate.
• I can loop a short chunk and use bowing isolation until it feels comfortable and reliable.
• I can show how I built a passage back up from a small chunk to a longer section with fewer mistakes.
• I can explain my own practice plan for a hard spot and how it helped me improve.